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RHODE ISLAND 
HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



REPORT OF THE 
SPECIAL COMMITTEE 

ON THE 

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE WEST WING 
OF THE SOCIETY'S BUILDING 

1913-1914 




Providkncl 

PrIN IKD FOR THi: SOCIETY 
I9I4 



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THE "C'ap.ixkt" or building;" of the Rhode Island 
Historical Society was ori<;"inally a two-story structure, 
measuring" 50 by 30 feet, designed by James C. Bucklin. 
It was constructed in 1844 on the lot on Waterman Street, 
one-half of which had been gi\en to the Society by the heirs 
of Nathan Waterman for this purpose. The cost of the build- 
ing, as reported to the Society, was $5260. Three thousand 
dollars of this amount was the proceeds of a right to hold a 
lottery, granted by the state legislature, and sold b\' the 
Society to a lottery-broker. The remainder was raised by 
subscription. 

In 1891, two three-stor\' wings, each 50 b)' 22 feet, and a 
domed lecture-room and picture-gallery 30 feet square, at the 
rear of the original Cabinet, and between the wings, were added, 
giving the building" the shape of a squat T. The plans for 
these additions were drawn by Alfred Stone, who was for many 
years deeply interested in the welfare of the Society. The 
cost, about $20,000, was contributed by subscribers whose 
names appear in the printed Proceedings for 1892. 

The outer walls of 1844 were ruggedly built of rubble, 
covered with plaster. The same construction was used in 1891, 
for the outer walls, the partitions being of brick. The main 
floor of the 1891 addition was of wood laid on brick arches. 
The other floors, the stairways, and the interior littings were of 
wood, the construction being highly inflammable. The danger 
from fire was so apparent that it was frec|uent\' discussed, and 
various plans were suggested for doing awa}' with the constant 
likelihood of a catastrophe. 

At a meeting" of the Library Committee held on b\'bruar\" 
17, 191 3, this danger was discussed, and it was decided that 
the most practical scheme would be to make the west wing 
of the building fireproof. Tentative plans which had been 
submitted by the Librarian to the Committee were a])pro\ed 
and it was voted to ask the E.xecutive Committee of the 
Society to consider the immediate reconstruction ot certain 
parts of the building. On March 21, the \-ote of the Library- 
Committee was reported to the Executi\e Committee, together 
with plans, s]iecifications and estiniates. The E.\ecuti\e Com- 



niitlcc approwd the proposed ,i;cnci"al plan, and referred the 
matter to the Committee on (irounds and Buildini;. This 
Committee ,i;a\e the details of the ])lan careful considei'at ion, 
and at its rec|uest the Librarian drew up the specifications and 
secured delinite bids. At the t|uarterl\- meetin_!^"of the Society, 
held April i, the Conuuittee on Crounds and Building reported 
to the Society, recommending that the west wing of the Cabinet 
be made fire])roof, and suggesting that the plans embodied in 
the re])ort be carried out as soon as funds could be secured. 
The Societ\- thereupon voted that a Special Conuuittee be 
appointed to raise the necessar\- mone\" for reconstructing the 
west wing. This Conuuittee consisted of I'rof. Wilfred II. 
Munro, President of the Societx ; lion. Charles Dean Kimball, 
Chairman of the Committee on (irounds and Building; Mr. 
lulward Aborn Greene; Mr. (ieorge Parker Winship ; and 
Mr. lioward M. Chai)in, Librarian of the Society. P^)rmer 
(io\-ernor Kimball, on account of business engagements, was 
unable to ser\e on the Committee. Mr. (ireene was appointed 
Treasurer of the Committee. 

This Committee sent out a circular letter, the cost of which 
was contributed in part b\' Mr. 1). Berkeley L'pdike, to all the 
members of the Society, exi:)laining the need, the pur}:)ose and 
the scope of the work contemplated, and asking for contribu- 
tions. 'Phe Conuuittee also appealed directly to a number of 
persons who were known to be interested in the welfare of the 
Societw 'Phe\- were encouraged to do this b\- the fact that 
two subscriptions, one the smallest and one of the largest, 
were brought to the building after the hrst announcement of 
the plan in the newsj^apers, and before any ])ersonal appeals 
had been made. At the regular (.(uarterly meeting of the 
Societ\' in July, the Conunittee reported sufficient contribu- 
tions to justify beginning the work of reconstruction, and 
exj^lained in detail what was proposed to be done. This re- 
port was acce})ted by the Societ\ , and the C'ommittee at once 
proceeded to carr\- out the }ilans. 

'Phe Librarian had made a careful study of the plans as first 
submitted, in consultation with practical builders and fire in- 
surance experts, and a number of economical changes were 




cc 



introduced without sacrificing- any essential conveniences. 
These plans haxing; been approved by the Committee, they 
were submitted to Mr. George L. Shepley, Mr. Charles B. 
Mackinney, Mr. Knight C. Richmond, and Mr. Henry T. (irant, 
who very generously offered to examine them from the point 
of view of fire insurance experts and who suggestetl a few 
changes which were incorporated into the plans. 1^'inal bids 
were then asked for, and the contract tor the structural work 
was let to the C. B. Maguire Company. This work was be- 
gun in |ul\' and was completed before the date ol the annual 
meeting in January. 

As soon as it was certain that the reconstruction could be 
carried through, the books and articles in the museum were 
remo\ed from the west wing to other ]:)arts of the building. 
This in itself was a considerable j^iece of work, for there were 
over 30,000 books in this part of the building and the whole 
upper floor was occupied b\ the miscellaneous and unwieldy 
objects of the museum, the number of which it is impossible to 
estimate with any approach to accurac}'. 

As soon as the contents had been removed, all of the wood- 
work was taken out of this wing. This involved the removal 
of all the floors, the partitions, the windows and window- 
frames, the stairs and the roof. Reinforced concrete floors with 
granolithic surface were then constructed for the second and 
third stories, and a granolithic surface put on the brick arches 
supporting the first floor. A tile roof supi)orted by steel 
beams replaced the old one. The new roof was covered with 
tin so as to give as nearly as possible its former appearance and 
so retain the symmetry of the building. Metal window-frames 
and metal sashes with wired glass j^anes were jxit in all of the 
windows, which were for the first time supplied with catches. 

A spiral iron staircase was erected in a brick and tile fire- 
well which at each floor is shut off from the rest of the wing 
by an autoniatic metal fire-door. All the openings between the 
west wing and the rest of the building were bricked uj), excej^t 
the one on the main floor which serx'es as the only entrance to 
the reconstructed portion. This is fitted with a self-shutting 
metal fire-door which o])ens from the main room into the fire- 
l)ro()l' stair-well. 



The main floor of the wlwj; is cU\icled into two rooms, the 
larger one containing the collection of Rhode Island books, 
while the other, which retains the name and pur]:)ose of the 
old "vault," is for manuscripts and more \'aluable books. 
Twelve-inch Library Bureau shehing was set up in the vault 
and eight-inch shelving in the Rhode Island room as well as 
on the floor above. In the \ault there was an apparently useless 
triangular space left by the head-room of the rear entrance to 
the basement. This space was very satisfactorily filled with a 
specialh' constructed metal map case, containing 48 tubes 4" x 
4" X 60" for the larger Rhode Island mai^s. 

The third or top floor, which is dexoted to newsi:)aiK'rs, was 
fitted with two sorts of cases. Thirteen cases designed to hold 
the less used newspapers in an upright position were con- 
structed by the Narragansett Machine Comj^anv, which also built 
a combination reading-table and filing-case. The current papers 
are kept in this case as they are received, until enough num- 
bers ha\e accumulated to make a bound volume, while the 
to}) of the case is used as a desk bv readers who consult 
the newspapers. In addition there are six cases fitted with 
horizontal rolling shelves which were purchased from the Art 
Metal Construction Comjjany of Boston, and are used to hold 
those heavier newspapers which are most frequently used. 

In fourteen months the money for the work had been raised, 
the entire contents of the wing had been removed, the whole 
interior as well as the roof reconstructed, the books put in their 
places on new shelving, and the bills paid. In all, the Com- 
mittee had, including the interest on its deposit at the bank, 
$8,114.68. Of this amount, one thousand dollars was trans- 
ferred to the fund for the reconstruction of the west wing, by 
a \'ote of the E.xecutive Committee on September 11, 1913, 
from the mone\' receixed for easement from the Rhode Island 
Company on accoimt of the tunnel under the building. 

Our Rhode Island collection of more than 15,000 xolumes 
is now all housed in this fire])roof repository. On the top 
floor we have over 6500 bound xolumes of Rhode Island news- 
papers. This is the best collection of any single state's news- 
papers in an\' one library. We have on the second floor oiu' 



local pension papers, census returns, manuscript account books, 
and early United States Government documents. On the main 
floor, we ha\'e in the \ault all of our more \aluahle manuscripts 
and books, our Rliode Island ma])s and broadsides, and our 
ne\vs]:)apers and books ])rinted before 1800. In the Kliode 
Island room we ha\e all of our books dealing;' with the histor}' 
of the state, toi^ether witli our collection of Rhode Island 
]:)ortraits and Rhode Island \ie\vs, arran^vd ali)habeticall_\' in a 
metal \ertical hlini;" case. 

In tlie basement, whicli was fitted with si)ecially constructed 
moxable shcKini;- designed b)- the Librarian and made b\' the 
Narrai^ansett Machine Company, we have one room filled with 
the manuscript papers of our local Custom House, one of the 
three or four such collections that ha\e escajjed destruction, 
and another room containini;' at the |)resent time, and until it 
is needed for more imjioi'tant xolumes, our duplicate Rhode 
Island material. 

This Committee takes much satisfaction in reportini;' that it 
has accomplished the work for which it was appointed. The 
Rhode Island books, manuscripts, and newspapers beloui^'ini;' 
to the Societ}', and those which it holds in trust for the state, 
are now placed bcNond the danger of loss b}- hre. 

Tliis fact ought not to hide the danger which continues to 
threaten the rest of the Historical Societx' building. The 
Connriittee on the west wing, in handing over the small surplus 
left after paying all the bills which it contracted, earnestly recom- 
mends that this amount be set aside, with an)- other money 
that the Societ\' can use tor the piu'pose, as the nucleus of a 
fund to be used in rendering the east wing, and especially 
the original Cabinet of the Societ}", hre|)roof. 

Res])ectlu]h- submitted, 

W'll.l-RHl) H. MU.XKO, 
El)W.\Kl) AllOKN (IkKKXl-., 

(iK()R(;K Parki'.r Wi.xsnu', 
Howard M. Cuaimx, 

C onuiiittcc. 




Map Case 

Above the map case is ihe original grant of arms made to Governor Cranston 

and at the left hangs the earliest map of Rhode Island 



I\ii(>i>K Island Hisiokk ai. Soc iktv ix a( count with 

I)K. 



'9'3 




Sept. 


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22 




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Oct. 


21 


Nov. 


12 




2S 


Dec. 


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'9'4 


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9 



Feb. 2 1 
March (j 

April 7 



17 
May I 



June 29 



Voucher 

No, 



To Charles B. Maguire Co. 
" The Church House 
" Edward Wilkinson iS: Co. 
" Charles B. Maguire Co. 
" Charles B. Maguire Co. 
" Smith & Carlton 
" Charles B. Maguire Co. 
" Library Bureau 

" Narragansett Machine Co. 

" H. B. Loud J'.lcctric Co. 

" Library Bureau 

" The Church House 

" Narragansett Machine Co. 

" Charles B. Maguire Co. 

" Thomas W. Allard 

" Art Metal Construction Co. 

" The Church House 

" Library Bureau 

" The Church House 

" Narragansett Machine Co. 

" Narragansett Machine Co. 



Cheque to the order of the Rhode j 
Lsland Historical Society: Bal. acct. \ 



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#850 


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52 68 



8,114 68 



I'rovidcnce, K. I., June 2(), 1014 

EinvAKi) AiKiKN C.KF.F.XE, Treasurer 



Edward Akokx Greexk, Trkasukkk oi" 

Ck. 
1913 15y Subscription : 

April J ;, John Shepard, Jr. 

William Ely 

Anna Reed Wilkinson 

Anthony T. Briggs 
28 Sophia Augusta Brown Shen 
May 16 Josephine A. Binney 
July 25 R. H. L Goddard 
Aug. k; Stephen O. Metcalf 
Sept. 3 Lyra Brown Nickerson 

Estate Wm. B. Weeden 

24 Mr. & Mrs. Jesse H. Metcalf 
Oct. 3 Samuel P. Colt 

7 William Arthur Wing . 

14 R. E Gammell 
Eliza G. Radeke . 
George Parker Winship 

15 W. S. Granger 

25 Henry D. Sharpe 
^r Jonathan Chace 

Nov. I Interest to October 25, i(>i3 

Subscription : 
3 William Gammell 
Cyrus P. Brown 
A Friend 

Arthur W. Dennis 
Charles Dean Kimball 
Frank L. Day 
Frank H. Cranston 
S. H. Tingley 
Samuel M. Nicholson 
Maria L. Corliss 

Frank W. Matteson 
Samuel A. Hazard 
William L. Hodgman 
Charles V. Chapin 
10 Nelson W. Aldrich 
March 2 Henry T. Grant 

16 Charles H. Warren 
25 Rhode Island Historical Society 

Frank Hail Brown 
Sarah D. Kimball 
April S Eugene P. King 
May I Interest to April 25, 1914 
Subscription : 
(} Stephen O. Edwards 



Sl'KC lAI, CoMMITTKE 





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